Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-02-09
CLUyERiUS.

HIS LAw-oFFICR AT CENrREvILLE, KING
AND QUEEN CoUNTY-wHAT is SAID OF
HIM BY THE PEOPLE THERE-THE COR
RESPONDENT OF THE ''sPECTATOR"
WRITES ON THE TABLE HE USED.
Especial Correspondence of the SPECTATOR
CENTREvILLE, KING & QUEEN Co., Va,
February 3rd, 1887.
Sojourning for few days in this town,
now made historical from the fact it is the
place Thos. ]. Cluverius pronounced here
"Klaveers") selected to begin life in the
practice of law, it may be of interest to
your readers to know something of the
manner of his life and standing in this COM
munity before his sad fate. | am told by
gentlemen of the highest standing in this
community, that no young man could pos
sibly have had brighter prospects for life
of usefulness and business success than
Tommie Cluverius Gas they call him here)
did, when he opened his law-office in this
town. His father was magistrate, and
gentleman of piety, intelligence, and popu-
larity. Tominie, himself, general favor
ite-mild, amiable, kind, and polite to all
with whom he came in contact-he was fast
gaining, and would soon have commanded,
a lucrative practice in his profession. And
when it was told on the street and in the
stores of the town, OH the morning of March
10Th, 1885, that Tommie Cluverius had
been arrested the night before as the muir
derer of his cousin, Lillian Madison, the
citizens of the town were not only amazed,
but indignant, that he should be the object
Of some malicious enemy, and it was long
afterwards, before they could believe 9TH
erwise, or that he had not been personated
in Richmond, on the 18th of March. Yet
slowly and gradually as the circumstantial
facts began to unravel before their eyes,
as his trial progressed, together with many
strong points not published or brought out
on the trial-known by his neighbors-were
divulged in common conversation; say,
when all wore put together and he finally
paid the penalty of his crime, to-day, you
would not be able to get respectable man
in town to say he was not guilty, either di-
rectly Or indirectly, of the murder. Still,
all with whom have conversed will argue
freely as to the unfairness of his trial, and
the probability of suicide, but if you speak
of him as gully man, they will, with sad
faces and mournful voice, turn the CONVEX
sation in another channel. Such was their
esteem and love for him before his fall, that
they are not willing to realize the fact that
he was a murderer. | hear many new
things here that were not published or
brought out on the trial, which would con-
vince the most incredulous of his guilt. For
instance, Cluyerius says in his book: "The
so called ''lewd poem" found in her trunk
| never saw nor heard of until the trial be-
gan" Now, there are two men living near
ere, who say Tommie Cluverius read this
'1e~d poem to them months before Miss
Madison's death. AS to the ''knot-hole in
the FENCE which Tommie's father says he
burt or scratched his hand on the day he
came from Richmond at the very time
his father says Tommie scratched his hand,
TOmmie was in Mr.. Guthrie's store fifty
yards or more from the fence, and some one
noticing his hand, asked him how he hurt
it. He replied, he hurt it that morning
with his watch-chain getting on the train.
There are many other new points which
have not the space to mention. The fence,
| am told, stands to-day as it did on the
18th of March, 1SS5-the rail in the same
position, and the "knot-hole' is certainly
there, and an ugly, Jagged one it is. laid
the back of my hand upon if, and can see
very readily how it all might have hap
pened as described by the father in his evil
dence.
Through the courtesy of DR.. Courtney,
the roommate at College and close friend
afterwards of Tommie Cluverius, it has
been my lot to transact my business, wri,
ting, &c, ia the Office and at the same table
once occupied and used by Tommie. He
and DR.. G. used the office jointly. The
law-sign of Cluverius, which was taken
down after his conviction, lies to-day on TOP
of wardrobe in the Office. have held it
in my hands and gazed upon it with sor-
row, not that ''Thos. j. Cluverius, Attor.
ney -at-Law," is dead, but that he ever
lived. c..